Circuit-maintenance system.



A. GOLDSTEIN. QIRGUIT MAINTENANCE SYSTEM. NPPLIOATION FILED JAN.22,1906.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

2 SKEETS--SHEET 1.

Zgctngasaa Qvya/ A. GOLDSTEIN. CIRCUIT MAINTENANCE SYSTEM.

APPLIOA'ITION FILED JAN. 22, 1906.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

ALLEIERJL GOLDSTEIN,

i s rarus ldra ll hlliltl? oiaiucia OF NEW YORK, ilihlii, ASSIGNOIH, I AUTUMATIC FIRE PRU'IJEG- (DION CQMPAN'Y, A. CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

CIRCUIT-MAINTENANGJE ounces.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, ALBERT Goiins'rnrn, a citizen oi. the United States, residing at New York in the borough of Manhattan, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit- Maintenance Systems, of which the followin is a specification.

l/lly invention has for its object to provide a circuit maintenance system, wherein means 1 are provided for automatically establishing ii ii the circuit around any break that may occur within the circuit area; protected.

Uther and further objects of my invention will become appareht to those skilled in the art from the following description.

In the. drawings, wherein I have indicated a system embodying my invention, showing for convenience very simple mechanism for effecting the results; Figure 1 isa diagram of the system showing the arrangement of parts when the circuit is intact. Fig. 2 [a detail of a set of line grounding; mechanism. Fig. 3 is a detail of a dash potsuch as I may conveniently employ in connection with such mechanism. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic View sl'iowing the condition of the system after a break in the line within the area protected. Fig. 5 is a similar diagram showing the conditions that may be caused to prevail upon the occurreiuce of a break without the circuit-area autouiatically protected. l

'l hrougl'iout the drawings like numerals of reference refer always to l ilrc parts.

While my invention is oi? very wide application and may he used to advantage undyer many diilerent eoi' itions in connection with various ap iilii'cations of electricity, it may be considered for purposes of illustration as applied to a supervisory signal system for automatic fire extinguisher systems, it is customary to maintain sup( uvi-' sion over a number of buildings by means of instruments included in a single circuit, and it is obvioijlsly oit utmost importance to provide against disabling of such a system by the rupture of a line wire between two oi the areas to be proter'ted- -that is to say, between two of the buildings under super-rision- By my invei'ition I provide for the constant maintenance oi a. circuit through those areas of the normal circuit which it is desirable to protect-that is to say, through Specification of Itetters Patent.

Patented lan lltl, ilnllhh Application filed January 22, 1906. iterial No. 297,141.

complishment or this desideratum may best be gathered from the following descriptiom in the drawings indicates in general. a closed metallic circuit including a source of current supply, such as the generator 11, and

preferably having therein means for indieating a cessation of current flow through the'line, such for instance as the automatic signal registers 12-12, or any equivalent device, arranged on each side of the generator with respect to the circuit. 1

13 18 and 13 indicate generally the circuit maintenance sets of any suitable nunr her, which may he provided-within the cir cuit area to be protected. The setllj, best shown in Fig. 2, comprises a pair of electromagnets lit--14, arranged. in series in the circuit 11% on opposite sides of the signal transmitting (lei ice a and re )ectively provided with the armatures 15- -15, connceted as by wires 16 and 16 with the line wire 10 between the magnet coils 14:, i l. The back contact steps 17, 17", of the respeclive ari'iuitures, are arranged in ground connections adapted to he made and brolteiu the ground connection :tor the contact all each armature being controlled by the opposite ari'i'iatui'e of the pair and the parts being n'eierahly so arranged that each arstation. The saecilic manner of the armature when in raised or lowered position closes the ground couuorlion of the back contact stop or the opposite armature, but during movement from unuttracliul to at tracteiil position breaks the ground connec lion of the baclr contact oi the opposite armature. i

in the construction herein shown. by way of illustration in a simple apparatus, l8 18" indicate wires extending from" the contacts 1'7, 17' to the contact springs 19, it) respectively.

20, 20 indicate forked contact members having their upper and. lower points pro lecting respectively above and below the springs 19, 1.97, so as to be capable oiinalrlite ing electrical contact therewith, and between sa'idpoints insulated, as shown at 21, 21' to prevent contact of the fork with the coacting contact spring during vertical movement of the fork. The fork 20 is connected for movement with the armature 15,

as by the insulated rod 22 and the fork 20 is oppositely connected, as by the insulated rod 22' with the armature Permanent ground connections 24, 24' are made from the forks 20,

The arrangement of parts'is such that if the'armature 15 be in either raised or lowcred position the corresponding lower or upper tongue of the fork 20 will make contact with the sprin 19 completing the ground connection 0 the back contact 17 of the op osite armature 15'. During movement of t e armature 15 from open to closed osition, or vice versa, the insulation 21 is drawn past the spring 19' and the ground connection of contact stop 17 is momentarily broken. The connection of contact 17 with the'ground is similarly controlled by armature 15'.

Associated with each armature I preferably provide means tending to restrain the movement of the armature to a suitable extent in its openin movement only, such as the dash pot herein indicated generally by the numeral 25. Specifically referring to h Fig. 3, wherein the dash pot is best shown,

26 indicates a convenient extension from the armature 15, beyond the pivot thereof.

27 indicates a dash pot stem, 28 the casing and 29 a piston within the casing secured to the stem 27 and provided with apertures 30 adapted to be closed by a valve 31. i

The construction shown is obviously such that as the arm 26 is raised by the customary armature retracting spring, illustrated 7 air or other fluid employed in the dash pot.

It will be understood that each set of devices 13", 13, etc., is similar in all respects to that described.

Where. the circuit area to .be protected is less than the entire circuit, so that there is liability to rupture of the circuit outside of 1 generator 11, and leading to contact points.

the areaautomatically protected, I prefer to provide means for grounding the source of current supply, on either side thereof, and

to this end I provide the wires 33 and 34 connected with opposite terminals of the of the single pole doublethrow switch 35 whose pole is grounded as by wire 36.

The operation of a system constructed and arranged as above described will be as follows: Normally the circuit stands in the condition shown in Fig.'1, no ground being upon the generator and the circuit being intact throughout. Accordingly all of the magnets 14 and 14 are energize'dand their armatures lifted so that no armature is grounded. Assuming, however, that a break should occur within the area protected, as shown in Fig. 4, the operation will be as follows; As soon as the break occurs, current being simultaneously cut off from all of the magnets of the general numeral 14, all of them become deenergized and their armatures 15 fall in unison. During this movement the ground connections of all of the back contacts are broken,but when the armatures are clear down and in contact with their back contacts17, the ground connections of said back contacts are reestablished through the wires 17, the upper fingers of the forks 20 and the wires 24. Consequently current from the generator finds its way through the circuit 10 to the nearest ground path afforded through the coil of the magnet 14, shown to the extreme left in ,the drawing, the wire 16 and armature 15,

contacts 17, wire 18, spring 19,- fork 20, and wire 24, returning throu h the path 24', 20, 19', 18, 17', 15',16', o the grounded connection at 13 on the opposite side of the break in the line wire. The circuit established, however, including as it does the coil of the magnet 14, causes the armature 15 of said magnet to be attracted. In its respon sive upward movement the said magnet, as heretofore'described, through its connection with the part 20 momentarily breaks the ground connection of the opposite armature 15. Consequently its own ground connection being broken as it leaves the contact 17, the current is compelled to seek ground through some connection nearer the break, and, in the showing of Fig. 4, such connection being provided through the midlllc set of ground connections at 13", the magnet 14 of set 13" becomes energized and the armature is accordingly raised, breaking the ground connec- 115 tion at the contact point'17. This action continues with each pair of magnets until the set nearest the break on the opposite side of the generatoris reached when the first magnet 14 only, having its ground conncctions on the far side of its magnet windings, with reference to the generator, will be energized, as heretofore described, causing the momentary breaking of the ground connec tion of the o posite armature of the couple, 125

but there belng no further ground connections between said point and the break in the line, the armature of said'magnet 14 nearest-the break is not energized and its armatureis not lifted, so that when the armature screen a a v w;

oil the left hand magnet M of the pair gets home and reestablishes the ground connection between the baclr contact 17' and the ground, the grounded condition of the mag net armature nearest the brealr is P61111311 ently established, the ground being removed from all armatures between said points and the generator on. the opposite side. On the opposite side oi? the break, it will be apparent that the same result will have ensued, all oil the magnets being energized save the one nearest the break and its armature alone remaining down, and making a ground connection. i I

It Will be apparent that when the firstacting armature of a couple rises to closed position breaking the ground connection of the opposite armature, and no current path is supplied beyond the opposite magnet on account of the presence of the break, the efiectwill be as of the initial break and all of the armatures Will tend to fall. It is for the purpose of preventing this effect that I provide the dash=pots,. or other retarding desaid dash pot to the opening movement only of the armaturespreventing their return to open position before the ground is reestablished at the armature nearest the break. Other means for the same end may obviousl be provided however.

omentum carries the armature 15 of set 18 to bring part 20 up into upper contacting position, While the retarding devices prevent the other armatures, as of set 13 back of the one in question, from falling durin the instants break of the circuit. The ash pots arev illustrative of any suit able one- Way retarding devices.

it Will thus be seen that I provide in con junction. with the circuit or circuit-part to be protected, means operable upon the oc' currcnce of a break in the circuit or circuitpart to automatically establish a ground upon each side of the break and thus maintain the circuit in operative condition.

When the circuit area automatically protected is less than the entire circuit, as is herein illustratively shown, and the break occurs between the source or current supply and the circuit part protected, the protected part of the circuit may be maintained in commission by grounding the side of the generator between which and the circuit part to be protected the break has occurred. Such a condition is illustratively represented in Fig. 5-. When the break occurs notice thereof is given by-the recording instrument at central station, as usual, and from the fact that the circuit does not almost imme diately restore itself to permit the flow of current thercthrough it is indicated to those at the central station that thebreah is in the line Wire between the analprotected and central The hand switch 85 is accord- V3688 for the armaturcs, the retardation of ingly thrown to one side, and then if necessary to the other. Upon taking position to ground the appropriate brush of the gem orator, ground connection is established on both sides of the generator and current flowsthrough the circuit area to be protected as far as the magnet nearest the break, all at armatures between said last magnet and the generator, restoring themselves as heretofore described. a

W'hile I have herein. shown a very simple embodiment of my invention with the protection applied to a portion of a simple single series circuit, it will be apparent that the principles. of my invention may be applied to circuits formany diverse purposes, and I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the simple circuit arrangement herein shown and described further than as specified in the claims. Further it will be apparent that While for a convenient under standing of my invention I have shown the central station equipped with apparatus for determining the condition of the line and indicating a break therein, such apparatus might be omitted. Further I desire it to be understood that I appreciate that a metallic return might be employed instead oi? the ground return with generally equivalent re sults as those described, and I, therefore, desire it to be understood that in employing theterm ground I use it in its broad sense of an electrically conducting body of such extent and arrangement that the necessary parts may be connected thereto in common whether such body be the earth, a Wire or other conductor.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, or the United States, is: I

1. In a circuit maintenance system, a circuit to be maintained, a source of current supply therefor, signal transmitting devices associated with said circuit at separate points, a pair of elcctromagnetsassociated with each signal transmitting device arranged in the circuit on opposite sides thereof, armatures for said magnets, means for the armatures to said magnets,

grounding .and circuit breaking means 111 the ground connection of each armature for preventing the maintenance of the ground connection thereof it, through some other ground connection, a circuit be established from the source of current supply through ithe magnet with Which said armature is connected.

2. In a circuit-maintenance system, a.circuit to be maintained, a source'ot current supply therefor, clectromagnets arranged in series in said circuit in pairs, an armature for each magnet, the armatures for a pair of magnets bem connected withthe circuit to be mamtainec on ad acent sides of their re spcctive magnets, normally open ground mnnections tor therispective armatures and llltl means' actuated by each armature for controlling the ground connection of the opposite armature. p

3. In a clrcuit mamtenance system, a C11- cuit to bemaintained, a source of current supply therefor, a pair of magnets in'said circuit each having an armature, connectionsfrom said arnaatures to the circuit to bemaintained on adjacent sides of their respective magnets, a back contact for each armature arranged for connection with the ground, means actuated by each armature supply therefor, a pair of magnets in said circuit each having an armature, connections from said armatures to the circuit to be maintained on adjacent sides of their respectivemagnets, a back contact for each armature arranged for connection with the ground, means actuated by each armature for controlling the ground connection of the opposite armature, means for retardin the movement of each armature toward its iack contact, and means for groundin the circuit to be protected on either side 0? the source of current supply.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT GOLD STEIN. 

